Ai Weiwei Brings His Largest U.S. Exhibition to Seattle
Displaying over 130 pieces that confront power, censorship and cultural identity.
Ai Weiwei has built a career on defiance. Whether smashing ancient artifacts or filling museum floors with handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds, his work is a challenge to authority, a refusal to accept history at face value. Now, Seattle will host his most expansive U.S. exhibition yet.
Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei, opening this week at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), spans 40 years of work—over 130 pieces that confront power, censorship and cultural identity. Iconic works like “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn” (1995), “Study of Perspective” (1995–2011), and “Sunflower Seeds” (2010) will be on view, alongside new pieces making their international debut.
For the first time in its history, SAM will dedicate all three of its locations to a single artist. The Seattle Asian Art Museum will feature Ai’s LEGO recreation of “Water Lilies” (March 19, 2025–March 15, 2026), while the Olympic Sculpture Park will showcase his massive “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze)” (May 17, 2025–May 17, 2027), a modern take on China’s looted zodiac sculptures.
Visitors can also dive deeper into Ai’s philosophy through two of his books, Humanity and Weiwei-isms, published by No More Rulers and available at the museum shop. The exhibition will be on view from March 12 until September 7, 2025.
Seattle Art Museum
1300 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
